A second influenza-related death of a nonelderly adult this season in San Francisco was confirmed late
Tuesday.

Identifying the strain of influenza will take several days, Department of Public Health officials said. The first death in December was due to the swine flu, also known as H1N1, and the victim had underlying conditions, the department said.

H1N1, introduced in a worldwide pandemic in 2009-10, is the predominant strain in the region this year. Unlike the seasonal flu in which the very young and elderly are the most vulnerable, H1N1 puts people with chronic diseases at the greatest risk.

The number of flu deaths this year is not much higher compared with the same time last year, said Dr. Naveena Bobba, the department’s director of public-health emergency preparedness and response.

“Deaths are not unexpected for this time of the year,” she said.

On Wednesday, San Mateo County reported its fourth flu-related death this season, all involving people under 65. Three cases are confirmed as H1N1 and three individuals had underlying medical conditions. Other Bay Area counties have also experienced deaths — three in Alameda, two in Contra Costa, two in Marin, three in Santa Clara and one in Sonoma, according to the most recent update Friday by the California Department of Public Health.

Though it is the middle of the flu season, it is not too late to get vaccinated, said Dr. Cora Hoover, the city department’s director of communicable disease control and prevention.

About The Author

Bio:Jessica Kwong covers transportation, housing, and ethnic communities, among other topics, for the San Francisco Examiner. She covered City Hall as a fellow for the San Francisco Chronicle, night cops and courts for the San Antonio Express-News, general news for Spanish-language newspapers La Opinión and El Mensajero,...Jessica Kwong covers transportation, housing, and ethnic communities, among other topics, for the San Francisco Examiner. She covered City Hall as a fellow for the San Francisco Chronicle, night cops and courts for the San Antonio Express-News, general news for Spanish-language newspapers La Opinión and El Mensajero, and was a writer and producer for Time Warner Cable Sports. She grew up in Los Angeles speaking Spanish, Cantonese, and English.more